He praised Japan’s constant efforts to positively contribute to maintaining regional peace, stability, cooperation, and development; supporting the foundation of an ASEAN community; strengthening regional connectivity; narrowing development gaps; developing the Mekong Sub-Region; and promoting the sustainable use of water resources.

Concerning regional issues, PM Dung stressed the importance of maritime security in the East Sea, reiterating Vietnam’s shared belief all disputes should be settled peacefully in accordance with international legislation like the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

He urged concerned parties to work on formulating a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) as soon as possible, taking exisiting international law and the regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as a starting point.

ASEAN and Japanese leaders took advantage of the opportunity to share their positive assessments of the vigorous development and tremendous achievements recorded during their 40-year history of cooperation.

Japanese PM Shinzo Abe said the five principles supporting his country’s foreign policy place great value on strengthening relations and cooperation with ASEAN in all fields and consolidating the organisation’s centrality to regional dynamics.

Abe confirmed Japan’s commitment to continuing the backing for ASEAN PM Dung acknowledged in his speech.

PM Abe pledged US$20 billion in aid to projects linking ASEAN member nations and narrowing regional development gaps over the next five years.

An Asian centre will be established to facilitate inter-ASEAN student, artist, and youth exchanges.

ASEAN and Japanese leaders approved a statement outlining their shared vision for ASEAN-Japan friendship and cooperation, initial plans to make that vision a reality, and joint ASEAN-Japan statement on regional and global issue cooperation.

ASEAN and Japan will expand their cooperation in managing and responding to natural disasters, preventing terrorism and transnational crime, and promoting trade and investment.

They also intend to finalise negotiations on a range of trade, service, and investment agreements oriented towards the eventual creation of an ASEAN-Japan Free Trade Area.

Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh met with his counterparts from New Zealand, the US, China and the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on August 7 as part of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings (AMM 50). Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (L) and his New Zealand counterpart Gerry Brownlee During the meetings, the officials discussed bilateral cooperation and international and regional issues of common interest. Vietnam and the nations agreed to deepen cooperation, maintain high-level contacts and delegation exchanges, strengthen people-to-people exchanges and enhance the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms. The Vietnamese FM called on the countries and the EU to help Vietnam’s goods enter their markets. Regarding international and regional issues, the ministers affirmed the central role of ASEAN in the region, and agreed to work together on security issues, including terrorism, the situation on the Korean peninsula and the East Sea issues on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and support ASEAN and China to negotiate a Code of Conduct in the East Sea. The ministers reiterated their commitment to work with Vietnam in organising the APEC Year 2017, in particular the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Da Nang in November. VNA... [read more]

Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh (L) and his New Zealand counterpart Gerry Brownlee(Source: VNA)
Manila (VNA) – Foreign Minister Pham
Binh Minh met with his counterparts from New Zealand, the US, China and the
High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security
Policy on August 7 as part of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and
related meetings (AMM 50).
During the meetings, the officials discussed
bilateral cooperation and international and regional issues of common interest.
Vietnam and the nations agreed to deepen
cooperation, maintain high-level contacts and delegation exchanges, strengthen
people-to-people exchanges and enhance the effectiveness of cooperation
mechanisms.
The Vietnamese FM called on the countries and
the EU to help Vietnam’s goods enter their markets.
Regarding international and regional issues, the
ministers affirmed the central role of ASEAN in the region, and agreed to work together
on security issues, including terrorism, the situation on the Korean peninsula
and the East Sea issues on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of
Parties in the East Sea and support ASEAN and China to negotiate a Code of
Conduct in the East Sea.
The ministers reiterated their commitment to work
with Vietnam in organising the APEC Year 2017, in particular the APEC Economic
Leaders’ Week in Da Nang in November.-VNA... [read more]

NDO/VNA – Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh met with his counterparts from New Zealand, the US, China and the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on August 7 as part of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings (AMM 50). During the meetings, the officials discussed bilateral cooperation and international and regional issues of common interest.
Vietnam and the nations agreed to deepen cooperation, maintain high-level contacts and delegation exchanges, strengthen people-to-people exchanges and enhance the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms.
The Vietnamese FM called on the countries and the EU to help Vietnam’s goods enter their markets.
Regarding international and regional issues, the ministers affirmed the central role of ASEAN in the region, and agreed to work together on security issues, including terrorism, the situation on the Korean peninsula and the East Sea issues on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and support ASEAN and China to negotiate a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.
The ministers reiterated their commitment to work with Vietnam in organising the APEC Year 2017, in particular the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Da Nang in November.... [read more]

NDO/VNA – Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh met with his counterparts from New Zealand, the US, China and the High Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on August 7 as part of the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and related meetings (AMM 50). During the meetings, the officials discussed bilateral cooperation and international and regional issues of common interest.
Vietnam and the nations agreed to deepen cooperation, maintain high-level contacts and delegation exchanges, strengthen people-to-people exchanges and enhance the effectiveness of cooperation mechanisms.
The Vietnamese FM called on the countries and the EU to help Vietnam’s goods enter their markets.
Regarding international and regional issues, the ministers affirmed the central role of ASEAN in the region, and agreed to work together on security issues, including terrorism, the situation on the Korean peninsula and the East Sea issues on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and support ASEAN and China to negotiate a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.
The ministers reiterated their commitment to work with Vietnam in organising the APEC Year 2017, in particular the APEC Economic Leaders’ Week in Da Nang in November.... [read more]

The joint communique reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to the full and effective implementation of the ASEAN 2025 and master plans on politics-security, economics, and culture-society.
The joint communique said ASEAN took note of the concerns expressed by some Ministers on the land reclamation and activities in the East Sea, which have eroded trust and confidence, increased tensions and may undermine peace, security and stability in the region.
ASEAN reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation in and over - flight above the East Sea.
Countries further reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation, and pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The regional bloc stressed the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities by claimants and all other states, including those mentioned in the DOC that could further complicate the situation and escalate tensions in the East Sea.
It underscored the importance of the full and effective implementation of the DOC in its entirety. ASEAN warmly welcomed the conclusion and adoption of the framework of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.
In its joint communique, ASEAN countries also addressed terrorist and extremist threats and developments in the Korean peninsula and the Middle East.... [read more]

Trinh Xuan Thanh makes public appearance on TVThe Saigon Times Daily An image of Trinh Xuan Thanh captured from VTV's news broadcast last night - PHOTO: HCMC – Trinh Xuan Thanh, former general director of PetroVietnam Construction Corporation (PVC), made his first public appearance in the prime-time evening news program broadcast last night by Vietnam Television (VTV), admitting he had voluntarily turned himself in to police. National television station VTV’s footage showed Thanh’s handwritten letter admitting his wrongdoing. He said he turned himself in to the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security due to his unstable life overseas as well as his anxiety and regret over his wrongdoing at PVC when hiding abroad. “I decided to leave the country and hide in Germany without careful thought. My family, relatives and friends encouraged me to come back to Vietnam to plead for leniency,” Thanh’s letter wrote. He also took his responsibility for the huge losses at PVC and its subsidiaries. On Wednesday, the German foreign ministry accused Vietnam of kidnapping Trinh Xuan Thanh, who it said was seeking asylum in Berlin, and of taking him home to face accusations of corruption. Germany also ordered an officer at the Vietnamese Embassy to leave Germany within 48 hours, according to local media reports. On the same day, the German foreign ministry asked the Vietnamese Government to send Thanh back to Germany immediately and would examine the Vietnamese side’s request for his extradition and Thanh’s asylum application. At a regular press conference on August 3,…... [read more]

Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – The Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) always supports the early approval of an
effective and legally-binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), the Foreign
Ministry’s Spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said at a regular press conference in
Hanoi on August 3.
Hang made the remarks while answering reporters’ queries about
issues related to a framework agreement on the COC which is expected to be
approved at the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’
Meeting and related meetings in the Philippine capital city of Manila.
[Vietnam reaffirms importance of UNCLOS]
“In accordance with ASEAN’s regulations, at
this meeting, ASEAN and Chinese foreign ministers will consider the adoption of
a framework agreement on the COC in the East Sea, which had been finalised at
the ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Meeting on the COC consultations,” she said.
While evaluating the efficiency of the COC in
resolving conflicts at sea, Hang said the common benefits of all ASEAN members
and regional countries is maintaining peace, security and stability in the
region and the East Sea.
“Based on that foundation, ASEAN always agrees that
it is necessary to have an effective and legally-binding COC in the East Sea as
soon as possible to ensure peace, security, safety and freedom of navigation
in the East Sea on the basis of observing international law, including the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS),” the spokeswoman
stressed.-VNA
... [read more]

Vietnam and New Zealand on July 27 affirmed their determination to raise two-way trade to 1.7 billion USD by 2020 during Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue’s working visit to New Zealand. Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue (R) and New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett While in Wellington, Hue paid a courtesy visit to Speaker of the House of Representatives David Carter, held talks with Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett, and worked with Minister of Foreign Affairs Gerry Brownlee and Minister Trade Todd McClay. The officials agreed to intensify investment in the fields Vietnam has demand and New Zealand has strength such as agriculture, renewable energy and infrastructure. Paula Bennett and Todd McClay confirmed to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese agricultural products to enter New Zealand, and continue supporting the country in improving production, processing and preservation of farm produce to meet foreign markets’ high standards. The two sides reached a consensus on the early signing of the 2017-2020 Vietnam-New Zealand Action Programme in 2017 in order to boost cooperation in the priority fields of politics, economy-trade, agriculture, education-training, science, and tourism. They also pledged to soon organise the sixth meeting of the two countries’ Joint Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation. The New Zealand leaders asserted to maintain the provision of official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam with the focus on social welfare, agriculture and rural development, human resources improvement, and climate change adaptation. Deputy PM Hue thanked New Zealand for supporting Vietnam in projects related to…... [read more]

NDO - Human trafficking is a complicated situation, not only causing harm to ethics, race, lifestyle, habits, customs and laws, but also directly affects the security and order of the country, as well as being of great concern for society as a whole.
From the beginning of 2011 until June this year, there have been 2,748 human trafficking cases involving 4,110 traffickers and 5,984 victims, of which 447 cases were for the purpose of marriage accounting for 27% of the total number of human trafficking cases with 1,140 victims. The crimes occurred in all provinces and cities across the country. The victims are not only women and children, but also men and new-borns, and the phenomenon of surrogacy. More than 80% of the victims were trafficked abroad, mainly through the border gates between Vietnam and Cambodia, Laos, and China.
Criminals are mainly scapegoats with criminal records and charges against them for trafficking. They work in combination to entice, hook, cheat, and coerce victims in order to traffic them abroad. In addition, there are also foreigners visiting Vietnam in the form of tourism and business activities, but are then linking with the Vietnamese brokers to form transnational human trafficking rings.
Notably, in recent times, by taking advantage of favourable policies on immigration procedures, issuance of citizens' passports and cross border travel passes, many traffickers have organised rings for human trafficking abroad, in the form of tourism, visiting relatives, and illegal labour. Victims are usually not provided with residency procedures or the…... [read more]

While in Wellington, Hue paid a courtesy visit to Speaker of the House of Representatives David Carter, held talks with Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett, and worked with Minister of Foreign Affairs Gerry Brownlee and Minister Trade Todd McClay.
The officials agreed to intensify investment in the fields Vietnam has demand and New Zealand has strength such as agriculture, renewable energy and infrastructure.
Paula Bennett and Todd McClay confirmed to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese agricultural products to enter New Zealand, and continue supporting the country in improving production, processing and preservation of farm produce to meet foreign markets’ high standards.
The two sides reached a consensus on the early signing of the 2017-2020 Vietnam-New Zealand Action Programme in 2017 in order to boost cooperation in the priority fields of politics, economy-trade, agriculture, education-training, science, and tourism.
They also pledged to soon organise the sixth meeting of the two countries’ Joint Committee on Economic and Trade Cooperation.
The New Zealand leaders asserted to maintain the provision of official development assistance (ODA) for Vietnam with the focus on social welfare, agriculture and rural development, human resources improvement, and climate change adaptation.
Deputy PM Hue thanked New Zealand for supporting Vietnam in projects related to dyke safety, clean vegetables, and hi-tech agriculture, while suggesting the two sides build a regular bilateral dialogue mechanism on development cooperation in order to carry out measures to use New Zealand’s ODA effectively.
Both sides discussed…... [read more]